Vietnam, Cuba steps up security cooperation

Minister of Public Security Senior Lieutenant General To Lam (L) and First Secretary of the Cuban Communist Party, President of the Council of State and the President of the Council of Ministers Raul Castro (Photo: VNA)

Havana (VNA) – Vietnam always respectfully and
sincerely thanks the Communist Party, State and people of Cuba for their
solidarity and support for Vietnam’s struggle for liberation, national unity
and reunification, as well as current construction and defence.

Minister of Public Security Senior Lieutenant General To Lam
made the remarks during his meeting with First Secretary of the Cuban Communist
Party, President of the Council of State and the President of the Council of
Ministers Raul Castro in Havana on November 28.

Lam expressed his thanks to President Raul Castro for his
leadership in facilitating the Cuban Ministry of the Interior and the
Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security to work closely and effectively in the
fight against crime, ensuring the security and order of each country.

He expressed his pleasure and appreciation at the great
achievements made by the Cuban people in the cause of building and developing
the country.

Lam stressed that cooperation between the police forces of
the two countries continues to be strengthened and developed across sectors of
security, police, force building, logistics and engineering.

Both sides agreed to assess the results of cooperation in
the past and the direction for the future to ensure national security and
maintenance of social order and safety in each country, contributing to
promoting the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the
two parties, states and people, Lam said.

President Raul Castro welcomed Lam and his delegation to
Cuba, saying that the visit would make an important contribution to promoting
the traditional friendship between the two parties, states, peoples and police
forces in the two countries.

The President also sincerely thanked the Party, State,
Government and people of Vietnam for their solidarity, loyalty, support and
timely assistance to Cuba.

He appreciated Vietnam’s experience in all areas, especially
in the fight against crime, keeping security and order.

He suggested that the two sides should continue to promote collaboration,
contributing significantly to furthering their traditional friendship.

A day earlier, Minister Lam and his entourage held talks
with a delegation of the Cuban Ministry of Inferior, whose minister had sent
the invitation for its visit to the country.

At the talks, both sides agreed to increase exchanges of
delegations at different levels. They stressed the necessity of sharing information
and experiences on internal political security, prevention of plots threatening
social orders, and tourism-related crime amid integration.

They said their joint projects in the coming time would
focus on professional skills, fighting against organised crime, hi-tech crime,
trans-border crime, terrorism, human trafficking, and commercial and tourism
crime.

They agreed to consider negotiation and signing of
agreements on extradition, transfer of convicts, and mutual legal assistance on
criminal matters.

The sides vowed to support one another at multilateral
forums, particularly those on anti-terrorism and anti-illegal immigration. They
agreed with mutual assistance in signing, joining, and implementing
international commitments that they are member of.

At the end of the meeting, Minister To Lam and Cuban
Minister of the Inferior César Gandarilla Bermejo signed a cooperation pact
between the two ministries.

During its visit, Minister Lam and his entourage paid
tribute to late Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh at Peace Park in Havana and to
Cuban national heroes Jose Marti and Fidel Castro at the Santa Ifigenia
cemetery in Santiago de Cuba.-VNA